A1RWATER, a UAE-based water innovation company, has announced plans to open an air-to-water bottling facility in Dubai to bolster the UAE's circular economy agenda and sustainability goals. It will operate in Dubai Industrial City, a business district managed by Tecom Group.
A1RWATER, founded in 2018 in Abu Dhabi, makes atmospheric water generators using proprietary technology that collects drinkable water from air humidity. It also boasts sustainable bottling techniques and packaging technologies that minimise emissions.
"Our mission is to redefine how the world accesses this vital resource, starting from a single drop to entire cities," said A1RWATER founder and chief executive Alex Guy.
"New water technology is all about getting to scale," he explained in an interview with The National. "The DIC facility is a major milestone, and a testament to our commitment ... we are just beginning to scratch the surface of what's possible."
Mr Guy said the facility is slated to open later in the year. A1RWATER, which also has offices in Switzerland and the UK, said the facility will help to eliminate the need for single-use plastic bottles.
"With regards to the bottling process, we're using reusable glass, the bottles can be used thousands of time," Mr Guy explained. "So for our customers we're delivering a clear cost advantage and a clear sustainability advantage."
Various companies around the world have created atmospheric water generators in recent years. The implementations of those systems has ranged from small to large, but generally possess similar qualities.
“Because our water never touches the ground, pipes or other contaminants, it’s the highest quality water requiring less infrastructure and no chemicals,” the A1RWATER's website reads in part.
The Abu Dhabi-based company said the ability to provide water from the air has the potential to eliminate complicated and environmentally burdensome supply chain logistics. “Our water takes a lighter approach, sourced from the skies and bottled in sustainable bottles and cans right on site,” it said.
According to a news release from A1RWATER, the facility will help "shift the trajectory of water access" in the UAE.
The company also has partnerships with Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Jotun, Emirates Palace and Adnoc, which in turn help those entities and communities source water more sustainably. It operates on a business-to-business model.
"If you're in some hotels in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, hopefully you've seen a bottle of our water, if not already, hopefully you will coming soon," Mr Guy said.
Water scarcity and tech solutions
More than half of the world's population could live in water-stressed regions by 2050, according to a 2020 United Nations report that called for immediate action and investment.
Recent advancements in technology have shown that harvesting water directly from air is not only possible but increasingly efficient, even in the driest of environments like the Middle East, which also faces the potential for water stress in the not- too-distant future, due to climate change.
The advancements of atmospheric water generators are not necessarily a silver-bullet, however, in terms of a sustainable solution, they do help.
In many cases, those air-to-water technologies need to be powered from electricity grids, which could offset some environmental benefits if the power from the grid is not renewable.
Khalifa University recently announced it was in the process of preparing a patent application for its implementation of a water-generation technology that was powered by solar panels.
"It's a great solution," said Prof Samuel Mao during an interview in March, while showing Khalifa University's approach on the rooftop filled with solar panels at the Sas Al Nakhl campus.
“Water is generated as long as there is sunshine and moisture in air, and the system does not require electric power from the grid,” he said.
Other methods for providing drinking water, such as desalinating seawater or groundwater sourcing, also consume significant energy.
Initially, A1RWATER's DIC facility will be connected to the grid, but Mr Guy said that future projects will include other power sources.
"Going forward we'll introduce a large element of solar and I look forward to discussing more on that in the not-too-distant future," he explained.
"We think that air-to-water will disrupt water industries the same way solar disrupted power industries."
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Favourite film:
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Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Favourite holiday destination:
Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.
Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.
Favourite pastime:
Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.
Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.
Personal motto:
Declan: Take chances.
Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
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Bantamweight: Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) beat Hamza Bougamza (MAR)
Catchweight 67kg: Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR) beat Fouad Mesdari (ALG)
Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammed Ali (UAE) beat Abdelhak Amhidra (MAR)
Catchweight 73kg: Mosatafa Ibrahim Radi (PAL) beat Yazid Chouchane (ALG)
Middleweight: Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) beat Badreddine Diani (MAR)
Catchweight 78KG: Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Adnan Bushashy (ALG)
Middleweight: Sallah-Eddine Dekhissi (MAR) beat Abdel Enam (EGY)
Catchweight 65kg: Yanis Ghemmouri (ALG) beat Rachid Hazoume (MAR)
Lightweight: Mohammed Yahya (UAE) beat Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 79kg: Souhil Tahiri (ALG) beat Omar Hussein (PAL)
Middleweight: Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Laid Zerhouni (ALG)
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Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
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In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
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Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
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